Friday, Nov. 30, 2001

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world ...

Dear Diary:

����It's human nature to want to leave a mark, to be remembered, but for most of us the closest to immortality we're going to come is the memories we leave in the hearts of those who loved us.

����But there are a few extraordinary people who actually do change the world, whose lives create reverberations which reach far beyond those who knew them personally, and one of them, George Harrison, died today at 58.

����The first record I ever owned was Meet The Beatles, bought the summer between leaving elementary school and entering high school. It's basically an album by a decent bar band with covers of Motown tunes, some Chuck Berry and a few primitive original songs by the Beatles themselves.

����It was a big deal when they were on the Ed Sullivan show and played that music, but if they had continued where they were, the Beatles would have been just another British Invasion band from the '60's.

����Play "Meet" and then throw on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and ask yourself how four working class guys from an English port city went from being a decent bar band to something infinitely more complex. Much as I adore Ringo (and yes, Ringo is MY Beatle), much as I respect the best of the Lennon/McCartney songs, I have to say that I believe it was George's mysticism that took them all down roads they would not have otherwise travelled.

����For we baby boomers, the Beatles are both the soundtrack to and cultural icons of our teens and early 20's. But their influence stretches far beyond us, mop top haircuts, Nehru jackets, and granny glasses.

����You know that world music stuff? The Beatles were the first western rock band to use the sitar and tabla, opening popular music to very non-traditional instruments and music. I think that opened the door to the world music we enjoy today.

����Oh, and it was George who brought them to India, who exposed them to the music and the culture.

����You know how sometimes musicians use music to both raise social consciousness and loot for good causes? Well, long before Bob Geldof thought up Band Aid, George organized The Concert For Bangladesh.

����You know how subtle censorship can be? Without George's money, Monty Python's, "The Life of Brian"--considered way, way too controversial to touch because it was such an irreverent parody of the life of the star of the New Testament--would not have been made.

     George, nicknamed The Silent Beatle, let his actions speak for themselves.

����Yep, there are a few extraordinary people whose lives create reverberations that reach far beyond the circle of people who knew them personally.

����Today I mourn the loss of one of them.

--Marn

Old Drivel - New Drivel


Subscribe with Bloglines


Want to delve into my sordid past?
She's mellllllllllllllting - Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 - Back off, Buble - Monday, Dec. 19, 2011 - Dispersed - Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 - Nothing comes for free - Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 - None of her business - Friday, Nov. 04, 2011 -


.:Cast:. .:Diaryland Notes:. .:Comments (0 so far):. .:E-mail:.
.:Adventures In Oz:.
.:12% Beer:. .:Links:. .:Host:. .:Archives:.

Cavort, cavort, my kingdom for a cavort Globe of Blogs 12 Per Cent Beer my partners in crime


A button for random, senseless, drive-by linkings:
Blogroll Me!


< ? blogs by women # >
Bloggers over forty + ?
<< | BlogCanada | >>
[ << ? Verbosity # >> ]
<< x Blog x Philes x >>


This template is a riff on a design by the truly talented Quinn. Because I'm a html 'tard, I got alot of pity coding to modify it from Ms. Kittay, a woman who can make html roll over, beg, and bring her her slippers. The logo goodness comes from the God of Graphics, the Fuhrer of Fonts, the one, the only El Presidente. I smooch you all. The background image is part of a painting called Higher Calling by Carter Goodrich which graced the cover of the Aug. 3, 1998 issue of The New Yorker Magazine.

Kids, don't try viewing this at home without Netscape 6 or IE 4.5+, a screen resolution of 800 X 600 and the font Mead Bold firmly ensconced on your hard drive.

�2000, 2001, 2002 Marn. This is me, dagnabbit. You be you.